


Lightning

by KestrelShrike



Series: Abelas/Lavellan [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: ABELLAN, F/M, Gen, dragon - Freeform, dragon slaying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-18
Updated: 2015-03-18
Packaged: 2018-03-18 09:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3565343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KestrelShrike/pseuds/KestrelShrike
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which our troop of brave heroes set out to confront the dragon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lightning

The endless torrent of rain broke up slightly, just enough that the four in the boat could see the shape of the island looming large in their vision. It wouldn’t be long now. Their excitement created a palpable miasma, something that could be touched and molded. Shiral’s main concern was how much daylight they had left. If they were lucky, the sun might eek out a few more hours, but it was so uncertain here. Everything was gray. They had left before dawn, as there would be no camping on the island until their mission was over and done with.

“When we disembark, everyone stays within my eyesight. No exploring, no chasing after the dragon ahead of the group.” A meaningful look at Iron Bull then, who managed to look suitably chastened. “And strictly no speaking. Hand gestures, if needed. We want to get the dragon out in the open. If it finds us on the paths, the battle could end poorly for us.” How well could dragons hear? Did it already see the boat approaching? It probably knew- the creatures seemed to have an uncanny ability to spot those who would slay them. The dragon was a problem though, and problems inevitably fell to the Inquisitor.

Shiral only took those who expressed an interest in fighting a dragon. She had known from the moment she opened her mouth that Iron Bull would want to come along, that he would insist. That was a given. Cassandra was somewhat of a surprise, though dragon slaying ran deep in her bloodline. She had said she wasn’t close with her family, but perhaps blood spoke more than words ever could. What she was most uncertain about, selfishly, was Abelas. He was a more than capable warrior. She knew that. But if anything were to happen to him… It was a thought she couldn’t even finish. Another part of her was deeply curious to see what the full extent of his abilities may be. The ancient Elvhen had magic that the Dalish didn’t seem to possess anymore, a magic that manifested itself in every aspect of battle. Was that something she had read, or something that Solas had told her? Either way, Abelas had kept what magic he had close to his chest. 

The boat touched shore, and Iron Bull ceased rowing, wiping sweat out of his eyes. The four of them had switched off in the task all day so that no one would be too tired, but Shiral felt the hint of fatigue in her back. If they managed to surprise the dragon, the battle could potentially be short and easy. If it knew that they were there, she was worried that an extended fight would exhaust them all to the point of making foolish mistakes.

The four of them disembarked. They were all armored, and the sound of metal echoed through the air. Shiral had tried to muffle everything as best she could, but Cassandra’s shield needed to be free, and weapons rattled faintly where they were held. Even Abelas’ golden Sentinel armor made small noises as he moved, catching what little light there was and reflecting it back to the world. She had little hope that they would catch the dragon unaware now, but what else could they do? If they tried to row back, they would be rowing deep into the night, and they could be easily caught on the water. It was better to face the dragon here, on land, where at least they stood a chance of living. 

As she vaulted from the boat onto shore, Shiral’s fingers brushed against Abelas’, and she gave his hand a squeezed. He returned it lightly, though his gaze did not waver from the shape of the island before them. 

The island wasn’t very large, and there was only one clear way to get to the top of it. Who could have made the path? If there were deer, they would have been consumed long ago. People could have lived here once, before the dragon made its home here. There was little information on Dragon Island, though the name suggested that one dragon or another had always made its home there. 

Only the rain dripping down made any noise. There weren’t even any birds, something that deeply unsettled Shiral. The only life was the greenery, persistent and ever present. It was creeping over the stone, slowly breaking down the path. With nothing to inhibit it, soon it would take over the entire island. 

The path ended in a large, flat area where nothing grew. Even the trees were skeletal, dried fingers reaching up to the sun they could not see. Nothing moved for a few long seconds, and then something uncurled slowly, sinuously, from its perch on the stepped rocks. One yellow eye, shaded by a heavy brow ridge, regarded them lazily as the dragon stretched, movements strangely feline. First one wing was stretched to the max, then the other, and the dragon continued to watch, waiting to see if they would get any closer to its territory. Its lack of overt aggressiveness meant there wasn’t a nest nearby, which was something. Small blessings had to be taken in just as much as the large ones. 

“The Vinsomer,” Shiral whispered out loud. It was ridiculous that she felt the need to whisper, given that the dragon clearly saw them, but she didn’t want it to take to the air. “From what I’ve heard, it has some kind of lightning field around it. The texts I read weren’t quite clear, and few have survived it landing at the Storm Coast and lived to tell us about it. Move slowly now.” She took the front, a risky maneuver. It should have been Cassandra or Bull in the lead- someone who could leap into action easily, who didn’t have to deal with pulling back a bow and getting to a safe distance. This was her battle though, her decision to fight the dragon. She had to be at the forefront of the battle at all times. 

As they moved closer, glowing pits opened on the dragon’s head, glowing purple. On the length of its neck, lightning appeared, dancing from the muscles to strike the wet ground. It stretched out fully and bellowed a challenge to the sky, and with that, the dragon took wing.


End file.
